The Face First Podcast - Presented by KidSport: Recent Episodes
Sport Calgary
Join local Canadian athletes Alysia Rissling (bobsled) and Grace Dafoe (skeleton) as they welcome a variety of guests with insightful conversations on topics surrounding community and sport in Calgary and Alberta. Presented by KidSport.
He’s a World and Olympic champion in skeleton. He’s a fire fighter. He’s a multi-sport coach and founder of Dark Horse Athletic. Now, he’s an author! Duff Gibson joins Grace and Alysia to share about his multi-sport journey, discovering the sport of skeleton at age 33, his experiences in physical and mental training for skeleton, and more! Duff is a big believer in the multi-sport approach and is the author of his newly released book The Tao of Sport, which was released September 14, 2021.
Grace and Alysia are joined by Jean Claude (JC) Munyezamu, founder and executive director of Soccer Without Boundaries and Umoja Community Mosaic. JC talks about his work with the two organizations and how they grew to serve an unmet need in the community by providing hundreds of youth the structure and discipline of sport, a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie, and experiences through which true community can be built.
Former WHL hockey player Chris Cederstrand had a life altering work place accident causing his right leg to be amputated above the knee. After being told the best activity he would be able to do was bowl, he has embarked on a journey that has seen him become North America’s First above knee amputee firefighter as well as representing his country on the National Sledge Hockey Team.
Becoming an alternate for the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi and winning many international medals, including a silver medal at the 2015 IPC World Championships. Since retiring in 2017, Chris has become the adaptive director at the hockey school PX3 AMP where his sledge program is completely free for kids with disabilities.
Chris works with Kidsport Calgary as an athlete ambassador helping under privileged kids afford sport and has started the Cederstrand Foundation which helps kids with disabilities purchase adaptive sports equipment. Chris also coaches the provincial sledge team which has won four consecutive national titles. For his efforts, Chris was named one of Shaw’s 50 Outstanding Canadians for his work in the community.
Grace and Alysia are joined by certified exercise physiologist and multi-sport advocate Lea Wiens. Lea is a master learning facilitator with over 30 years of experience developing leader and organizational capacity in community sport and recreation, schools and provincial and national sport organizations.
In this Host-to-Host episode, co-hosts Alysia Rissling & Grace Dafoe recap the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and reflect on their favourite moments from the Games, including the medal-winning performances by Canadian athletes Andre De Grasse, Damian Warner, Penny Oleksiak, the Canadian women's soccer team, and more!
Fresh off the plane home from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Canadian Olympian, multi-time Canadian Champion in canoe slalom, and KidSport ambassador Haley Daniels joins co-hosts Grace and Alysia to share about her pioneering efforts over the years to include women’s canoeing in the Olympic Games, her competition experience in Tokyo, and well as her involvement in the local, provincial, and national sport and canoeing communities.
KidSport ambassador and Beijing 2022 Olympic hopeful Jess Neufeld joins Grace and Alysia to share about his current Olympic journey to Beijing 2022. Jess shares about his beginnings as a multi-sport athlete and how he got into speed skating.
He also talks about training during the pandemic, including the memorable experience of training on Gap Lake the Rocky Mountains, and more!
Heidi Kostick and Karen Kelm join Grace and Alysia to talk about Ringette Calgary’s new Ringette For All program, an adaptive ringette program designed to empower athletes by teaching them the core life skills inherent to ringette, including teamwork, communication, resilience, and inclusion, all while having fun!
Grace and Alysia are gearing up for Tokyo 2020 with a hot topic discussion on moms on sport, specifically the mothers that are heading to the games. They look at the stories of Canadian athletes Mandy Bujold (boxing) and Kim Gaucher (basketball), the struggles they have faced as moms in sport, and more!
Did you know that there are rules about drug use that all athletes across the world are required to follow during a competition? Grace and Alysia discuss the story of American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson’s competition ban after testing positive for cannabis during the U.S. Olympic Trials back in June. The co-hosts talk about the rules set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), why these rules exist, and how the legalization of cannabis in select parts of the world has impacted the anti-doping landscape in sport.
Grace and Alysia are joined by University of Alberta Pandas Soccer varsity athlete - and proud Métis - Ashley Turner. Ashley shares with Grace and Alysia about a new initiative called Mâmawi-Pîkiskwêwak (pronouced Mah-mo-weh Peh-ke-skweh-wak), a brand new podcast that explores stories, experiences, and issues Indigenous athletes & allies alike face in sport. The podcast is a collaborative effort between KidSport Alberta, the University of Alberta Athletics Board, and the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta. Fun Fact: “Mâmawi Pîkiskwêwak” is Cree for the English phrase “Altogether, they speak”.
Grace and Alysia discuss the Canadian government’s announcement on the NHL’s exemption from Canada’s travel quarantine rules due to the Stanley Cup playoffs. With Canada’s summer athletes also preparing for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo this summer, Grace and Alysia discuss the limited competition landscape at home for Canada’s athletes, resulting in many having to travel abroad in order to achieve qualifying standards for Team Canada and speculate why these athletes do not share the same exemption as the NHL.
Did you know that 94% of women in a leadership role have a sport background? Girls In Sports AB Founder and CEO Dia Syed joins Grace and Alysia to talk about her company Girls in Sports AB and her research on girls' participation in sport. Dia and the co-hosts also discuss the importance of building girls' confidence through female athlete mentorship, how parents can influence a child's perspective on sport, and the short-term and long-term opportunities that come from keeping girls in sport.
Grace and Alysia kick off the first episode of Season 2 with an in-depth discussion on the ongoing story of Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open and the impact the event has made on the global sporting world and beyond. Grace and Alysia also share their thoughts on how Osaka’s actions could influence the future of athlete interviews with the media.
Candice Goudie and Kevin Webster join co-hosts Alysia and Grace to share about Play Packs, a new initiative between Flames Foundation and KidSport Calgary that enables kids to try out a sport with the equipment they need at home.
Former professional lacrosse player Geoff Snider joins Grace and Alysia to share about his journey to professional lacrosse and beyond through his current work with ELEV8 Lacrosse. Born and raised in Calgary, Geoff talks about his early beginnings as a multi-sport athlete, his experience playing for Team Canada at the 2006 World Lacrosse Championships, and his post-secondary and professional career in lacrosse, including playing 5 years with the Calgary Roughnecks. He also shares about the founding of ELEV8 Lacrosse, his transition into coaching after retiring in 2018, and his coaching philosophy on how his sport of lacrosse helps build character, confidence, and citizenship in his student athletes.
Co-hosts Grace and Alysia are joined by Team Canada softball pitcher and KidSport Calgary ambassador Morgan Rackel to share about her ‘mrackulous’ journey through sport from a young multi-sport athlete and to making her first Canadian team for the Pan-American Games in 2019. Morgan also shares about the Tokyo 2020 qualification process for softball as well as the team’s current preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games this summer.
Junior hockey player Jackson van de Leest of the Calgary Hitmen joins Grace and Alysia to share about his experience living and playing hockey in the WHL bubble, training during uncertainty, balancing university and junior hockey, and more.
Accomplished Canadian rugby player and 2012 Rugby Canada Player of the Year Maria Samson joins Grace and Alysia on the #FaceFirst podcast. Maria details her early beginning playing community sport growing up all the way to making the her first Canadian rugby team in 2011. She also talks about her reaction to the 2014 Canadian Women’s Rugby team that she was part of getting inducted into the Rugby Canada Hall of Fame in March 2021. Maria also talks about her experiences playing semi-pro football, getting her MBA, her current involvement in the local and national rugby communities, as well as how she got involved in KidSport.
Two-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts winner as team skip and Calgary-based curler Chelsea Carey joins Grace and Alysia to talk about life as a curler inside Curling Canada’s event bubble, growing up as a multi-sport athlete, and her curling club’s unique connection to KidSport.
Director of Operations at HEROS Hockey Kevin Hodgson joins Grace and Alysia on the show to talk about the nationwide and internationally-reaching HEROS Hockey program. The HEROS program (for kids with financial barriers) and Superheros programs (for kids with special needs) gives kids something to be a part of as well as it the opportunity a chance to play hockey in an inclusive environment that is able to adapt to every kid’s physical, cognitive, or financial needs. Kevin also talks about how caring about the “little things” make a big difference in a child’s hockey experience.
Kodette LaBarbera joins Grace and Alysia to talk about her son Ryder’s diagnosis with autism and how it has motivated her to become an advocate for autism awareness for her son.
How does one host a sporting event during a pandemic? Tourism Calgary’s Carson Ackryod joins co-hosts Grace and Alysia to share the insights, experiences, and challenges he has faced on bringing national and international sporting events to Calgary during the global pandemic. Carson also talks about Alberta’s success rate with past bubble events, how Tourism Calgary measures the economic impact of major events, and the opportunities of investing in sport tourism.
Three-time Olympian and 2010 Olympic champion in four-man bobsleigh Steve Mesler joins Grace and Alysia to talk about Classroom Champions, a Calgary-based international education non-profit he co-founded with his sister Dr. Leigh Mesler Parise that inspires students and teachers across North America by bringing Olympians, Paralympians, NHL, and NFL players into the classroom.
He’s the 2013 winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy, a Canadian Football Hall of Famer, a 2x Grey Cup winner, and most importantly, a certified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). In celebration of Black History month, former Calgary Stampeders running back Jon Cornish joins Alysia and Grace on KidSport’s Face First to tell his inspiring story with football and beyond.
Alysia Rissling interviews fellow co-host, KidSport ambassador, and 2026 Winter Olympic hopeful Grace Dafoe.
Grace Dafoe interviews fellow co-host, KidSport ambassador, and 2018 Canadian Olympian in Bobsleigh Alysia Rissling. Alysia shares her early beginnings as a multi-sport athlete, the importance of education, and how she realized her dream of going to the Olympics while watching the London 2012 Olympics. Alysia also tells the story about how Heather Moyse (Canadian Olympian and 2x Olympic Champion in Bobsleigh) became a mentor for her when leading a team into the 2018 Olympic Games, an experience that inspired her to continue her Olympic journey towards the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Les Gramantik has quite the resume as a track & field coach. He has coached at 8 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 6 Commonwealth Games, 3 Pan-American Games, and 11 World Championships. In this episode, Les talks about his track and field beginnings in Eastern Europe. In 1977, he moved to Calgary where he met John Cannon. a well-known figure in the Calgary track & field community, who helped him get more involved in coaching in Canada. He shares his philosophies on coaching with clever quotes. With track & field being a foundation sport, Les has had the opportunity to coach athletes in other sports, such as hockey, swimming, even bobsleigh and skeleton. Fun fact: he also coaches Alysia and Grace during their off season.
KidSport Calgary ambassador and golf teaching professional/coach Scott Stiles joins Grace and Alysia to talk everything golf. He discusses his playing career, the importance of multi-sport athletes, and how he keeps the sport fun for the people he coaches.
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) specialist and strength coach Jeff Hughes joins Grace and Alysia to share his inspiring story on how an apartment fire led him to start his own business in athletic therapy, the lessons learned, and more! He also shares how he’s adjusted his operations during the pandemic, what he’s been working on during the lockdown, and his future goals for his business.
Grace Dafoe and Alysia Rissling wrap up 2020 by reflecting on notable sport moments, lessons learned, and the experience of co-hosting a podcast!
The man behind the scenes of KidSport Calgary’s Face First Podcast shares with Grace and Alysia his experience working in sports radio, the inflatable rink at this year’s physically-distant Teddy Bear Collection, his passion for keeping all kids in sport, and more.
Former Calgary Flames hockey player Colin Patterson joins Grace and Alysia to share details about the weekend’s upcoming Flames Alumni Holiday Toy Drive event with the Flames Alumni, his experience with recording a TikTok with the 1989 Calgary Flames team with mini-Stanley Cups back in May, as well as his multi-sport experience with lacrosse and most recently, tennis.
Did you know that Calgary Minor Basketball’s Mike Shaw coached with the same high school coaches that coached Steve Nash? He joins Grace and Alysia to share his basketball journey from youth athlete to general manager and the effects of COVID-19 on the organization.
Ever wonder what it's like for a female working professional in Calgary's sports industry? Today's episode of KidSport Calgary's Face First with Alysia & Grace tells that story with insights from Calgary Roughnecks' Manager of Business Operations Melissa Blades.
Originally from the southern Alberta town of Brooks, Madison grew up play multiple sports in her hometown. After moving to Calgary with her family in junior high, she got involved in the sport of skeleton with the help of her mom at age 15. 10 years later, she shares with Grace and Alysia her early experiences with the sport with her family driving her out to the WinSport sliding track as 9pm at night. Being a big dog lover, Madison shares her story about how she got her dog Rosie after winning team trials the same year. She talks about her current involvement with KidSport Calgary as a KidSport ambassador and shares about her past experiences at KidSport Calgary events, including Brian Burke’s Targets for Kids and the Eric Francis Pizza Pigout. Being a big dog lover, Madison shares her story about how she got her dog Rosie after winning team trials.
Grace and Alysia welcome former skeleton athlete, current coach, KidSport ambassador, and Alberta Skeleton president Micaela Widmer. Micaela talks about how she got involved in sport through junior high basketball, which eventually led her getting into the sliding sport of skeleton. She shares about her experience watching the Winter Olympics live in Torino when the Canadian team won 3 medals in skeleton, which inspired her to pursue the sport more seriously at the high-performance level. Despite having slid on almost every skeleton track in the world, Micaela does disclose that she never have been on a roller coaster. After retiring from competition, she talks about how she stays involved in skeleton as a coach as well as the president of Alberta Skeleton and by growing the sport in the province at the grassroots level.
Grace and Alysia welcome three-time Olympic medalist in hockey and fellow KidSport ambassador Rebecca Johnston. Rebecca shares her story on how she got involved in hockey at a young age and how it led to her making the cut for her Canadian national team. She also talks about her current hockey career, including her training leading up to the Winter Olympics in Beijing 2022, winning the Clarkson Cup with the Calgary Inferno in the CWHL’s last season, as well as taking part in the NHL All-Star Competition.
Eric Francis joins Grace and Alysia to share about this year’s physically distant Pizza Pigout, an annual pizza event that supports local Calgary pizzerias as well as KidSport Calgary & Area initiatives. Eric also shares about his past experiences with the Pizza Pigout and how its grown over the past 25 years.
In the inaugural episode of The Face First Podcast, we are introduced to podcast hosts Alysia Rissling and Grace Dafoe. They talk about their experiences as athletes, The Face First Podcast, as well as what to expect on future episodes of the show.
In the inaugural episode of The Face First Podcast, we are introduced to podcast hosts Alysia Rissling and Grace Dafoe. They talk about their experiences as athletes, The Face First Podcast, as well as what to expect on future episodes of the show.